U.S. patent number 4,477,022 [Application Number 06/351,560] was granted by the patent office on 1984-10-16 for polarizing and latch arrangement for an electrical connector.
This patent grant is currently assigned to AMP Incorporated. Invention is credited to John R. Shuey, Donald R. Widener.
United States Patent |
4,477,022 |
Shuey , et al. |
October 16, 1984 |
Polarizing and latch arrangement for an electrical connector
Abstract
An electrical connector comprises matable housing members and
contact-carrying inserts. Matable electrical contact members are
secured in passageways in each of the inserts and a coupling member
holds the housing members, contact-carrying inserts, and electrical
contact members in matable engagement. The housing members and the
contact-carrying inserts include projections and flexible latching
members to latchably secure the contact-carrying inserts in
polarized positions in the housing members for proper matable
engagement with each other. According to another aspect of the
present invention, the flexible latching members including the
polarizing areas of the contact-carrying inserts can be oriented
relative to their respective housing members by angular selection
to assure mating engagement between only these housing members and
inserts so that proper electrical interconnection is made between
electrical circuits.
Inventors: |
Shuey; John R. (Carlisle,
PA), Widener; Donald R. (Mechanicsburg, PA) |
Assignee: |
AMP Incorporated (Harrisburg,
PA)
|
Family
ID: |
23381406 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/351,560 |
Filed: |
February 23, 1982 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/590; 439/314;
439/903 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
13/422 (20130101); Y10S 439/903 (20130101); H01R
13/642 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
13/422 (20060101); H01R 13/642 (20060101); H01R
011/00 (); H01R 013/62 () |
Field of
Search: |
;339/89,90,186M,59R,59M,126RS,128,136R,136M |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: McQuade; John
Assistant Examiner: Paumen; Gary F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: LaRue; Adrian J. Ness; Anton P.
Claims
We claim:
1. An insert-in-housing assembly for an electrical connector
comprising a housing member, and a contact-carrying insert member
latchably securable therein containing one or more electrical
contact members, characterized in that:
said contact-carrying insert member has an outer section having
integral flexible latching means therearound, and said insert
member has grooves underlying said integral flexible latching
means,
said housing member has an inner section having keying projections
on each of which is located a latching projection;
said keying projections correspond with said grooves and are
matably engageable therewith to position said insert member in said
housing member;
said integral flexible latching means is capable of being flexed by
said latching projections into said grooves as said latching
projections move thereover during assembly of said insert member
into said housing member and thereafter returning to an unflexed
condition latchably engaging said latching projections when said
insert member is in a fully mated condition in said housing;
2. An electrical connector assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein
said insert member includes a pair of opposing ones of said grooves
and said integral flexible latching means with said grooves being
matably engageable with said keying projections thereby selectively
positioning said insert member in said respective housing member
relative thereto for proper matable engagement of said electrical
members.
3. An assembly for an electrical connector as set forth in claim 1
characterized in that said integral flexible latching means and
said latching projections have cooperating beveled surfaces
enabling them to move easily over each other during positioning of
said contact-carrying insert member into said housing member.
4. An assembly for an electrical connector as set forth in claim 1
characterized in that bottoms of said grooves have concave sections
enabling said integral flexible latching means to flex thereinto as
said integral flexible latching means moves along said latching
projections.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to electrical connectors and more
particularly to a polarizing and latch arrangement for latching
contact-carrying inserts into connector housing members and
defining a polarizing arrangement between the matable inserts.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Contact-carrying inserts of some electrical connectors are
typically secured in their housing members by use of snap rings or
pins. The insert that is secured in a housing member via a snap
ring is oriented in the housing member by an orienting arrangement
between the insert and the housing member against a stop surface
and the snap ring is snapped into an inside annular groove in the
housing member securing the insert therein. Pins are then used to
secure the other contact-carrying insert in the other housing
member, but the other insert has to be secured in the other housing
member in such an angular orientation relative to the other housing
member so as to correspond to the angular orientation of the
first-mentioned insert relative to its housing member so that the
polarizing arrangement therebetween is properly aligned for matable
engagement thereof.
Such an arrangement has proven to be satisfactory, but use of snap
rings and pins requires extra parts, requires machining a groove in
the housing member in which the snap ring is to be disposed,
constitutes a problem in inserting the snap ring in its groove, and
requires properly orienting the other insert in the other housing
member prior to securing the pins therein so that coincidence of
orientation between the matable inserts and housing members takes
place to assure matable engagement therebetween.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, an electrical connector
comprises matable housing members and contact-carrying inserts.
Matable electrical contact members are secured in passageways in
each of the inserts and a coupling member holds the housing
members, contact-carrying inserts, and electrical contact members
in matable engagement. The housing members and the contact-carrying
inserts include projections and flexible latching members to
latchably secure the contact-carrying inserts in polarized
positions in the housing members for proper matable engagement with
each other.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the flexible
latching members including the polarizing areas of the
contact-carrying inserts can be oriented relative to their
respective housing members by angular selection to assure mating
engagement between only these housing members and inserts so that
proper electrical interconnection is made between electrical
circuits.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the members of the
electrical connector of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the matable parts of the
electrical connector of FIG. 1 in position for matable
engagement.
FIG. 3 is a part rear elevational view showing a contact-carrying
insert as it is being latchably positioned in its housing
member.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the contact-carrying
insert latchably secured in its housing member.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of an alternative embodiment of
the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1-6 illustrate electrical connector 10 which includes
electrical plug 12 and electrical receptacle 14. As can be
discerned, electrical connector 10 is preferably of circular
configuration. Electrical plug 12 includes a housing member 16
which includes a mounting flange 18, an outer section 20, and an
inner section 22. Outer section 20 has threads 24 on its outer
surface and a bore 26 on its inner surface. Keyways 28 are disposed
in bore 26.
Inner section 22 of housing member 16 has a bore 30 out of which
extend projections 32 at spaced locations along bore 30 which
define key members. A latching projection 34 is located on the
inner ends of projections 32. An internal flange 36 is located in
housing member 16 between bores 26 and 30.
Contact-carrying insert 38 is molded from a suitable dielectric
plastic material and it includes passageways 40 extending
therethrough which have electrical receptacles 42 of conventional
design secured therein. Electrical receptacles 42 include
electrical posts 44 which extend through holes 46 in a sealing
member 48 which is secured onto insert 38. Electrical posts 44 are
to be soldered to appropriate circuits on a printed circuit board
(not shown) for electrical connection therewith. Electrical
receptacles 42 can be terminated to electrical conductors in
accordance with conventional terminating practices if desired.
Insert 38 has outer section 50 and inner section 52 with a stop
surface 54 therebetween. Grooves 56 extend along the length of
insert 38 and they are positioned therearound in coincidence with
key projections 32 of housing member 16. The bottoms of grooves 56
have concave section 58 therealong. Flexible latching members 60
are located in outer section 50 along a section of each groove 56.
They have beveled surfaces 62 at their leading ends.
In assembly, electrical receptacles 42 are secured in passageways
40 and contact-carrying insert 38 has grooves 56 positioned in
alignment with key projections 32 whereupon insert 38 is moved
axially along housing member 16. As insert 38 is moved within
housing member 16, the beveled surfaces of latching projections 34
engage beveled surfaces 62 of flexible latching members 60 to
facilitate the movement of latching members 60 thereover and
concave sections 58 enable flexible latching members 60 to flex
thereinto in order to enable latching members 60 to move completely
along latching projections 34 until insert 38 is completely housed
in housing member 16 as illustrated in FIG. 2 with outer section 50
of insert 38 disposed in outer section 20 of housing member 16, and
inner section 52 of insert 38 is disposed in inner section 22 of
housing member 16 with stop surface 54 in engagement with internal
flange 36. In this position, latching members 60 have moved
outwardly into engagement with the bore of flange 36 due to the
flexible nature of latching members 60 and into latching position
with latching projections 34 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6.
Electrical receptacle 14 includes metal housing member 64 having an
outer section 66 and an inner section 68. Outer section 66 has a
bore 70 and key projections 72 on its outer surface at spaced
locations therearound for matable engagement with keyways 28 in
plug housing member 16 to assure proper mating engagement
therebetween.
Inner section 68 of housing member 64 includes a bore 74 which
contains spaced projections 76 therearound in the same manner as
spaced projections 32 in bore 30 of housing member 16. Latching
projections 78 are located on the inner ends of projections 76 in
the same manner as latching projections 34 of housing member 16. A
stop surface 80 is located at the junction of bores 70 and 74.
A metal coupling ring 82 is freely mounted onto housing member 64
for free rotation relative thereto and it includes threads 84 for
matable engagement with threads 24 to couple housing members 16 and
64 together and securing same in a matably engaged condition.
Housing member 64 includes a flange 86 against which a flange 88 on
coupling ring 82 engages and a snap ring 90 is disposed in groove
92 of housing member 64 to retain coupling ring 82 in position on
housing member 64. A plastic rod 94 is secured across threads 84
adjacent the inner ends thereof for engagement with a groove 96
adjacent the outer end of threads 84 to provide a tactile and
audible means to indicate the fully-mated condition of plug 12 and
receptacle 14 along with the electrical connection between the
electrical receptacle and electrical pins therein. This arrangement
is completely disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 345,962
filed Feb. 5, 1982, the disclosure of which is completely
incorporated herein by reference. This rod and groove audible and
tactile arrangement also maintains the plug and receptacle in
matable engagement in the presence of vibration.
Contact-carrying insert 98 is similar in construction to that of
contact-carrying insert 38 in that it has an outer section 100
which fits within bore 70 of outer section 66 of housing member 64
and an inner section 102 which fits within bore 74 of inner section
68. A stop surface 104 at the junction of outer section 100 and
inner section 102 engages stop surface 80 in housing member 64 to
limit inner movement of insert 98 within housing member 64.
Passageways 106 extend through insert 98 in which are secured
electrical pins 108 which electrically mate with respective
electrical receptacles 42. Electrical pins 108 are terminated to
electrical conductors 110 in accordance with conventional
terminating practices.
Grooves 112 extend through insert 98 and have concave sections 114
in the bottom surfaces thereof in the same manner as grooves 56 of
insert 38, and grooves 112 are located in coincidence with keying
projections 76 in bore 74 to enable insert 98 to be positioned in
housing member 64. Each of grooves 112 includes a flexible latching
member 116 having a beveled surface 118 and flexible latching
members 116 function in the same manner as flexible latching
members 60 enabling them to move along the beveled surfaces of
latching projections 78 into latching engagement therewith as
illustrated in FIG. 2 in the same manner as latching members 60.
Latching members 60 and 116 are integral with respective inserts 38
and 98, thereby precluding the need for snap rings, rods, or other
similar securing devices to secure the contact-carrying inserts in
position in their respective housing members. The arrangement of
grooves 56 on insert 38 relative to keying projections 32 and the
same arrangement of grooves 112 in insert 98 relative to keying
projections 76 of housing member 64 assures the proper orientation
of inserts 38 and 98 in respective housing members 16 and 64 so
that electrical receptacles 42 properly interconnect with
electrical pins 108 so that the proper electrical circuits are
interconnected when housing members 16 and 64 are interconnected
through keyways 28 and key projections 72.
Whereas the inserts 38 and 98 have flexible latching members 60 and
116 in relation to each groove 56 and 112, the embodiment of FIG. 7
differs therefrom in that each contact-carrying insert 120 for the
electrical receptacles and electrical pins contains flexible
latching members 122 in opposed grooves 124 which are in engagement
with latching projections 126 located on the inner ends of keying
projections 128 of housing member 130 which latchably secures
insert 120 within housing member 130. The remaining grooves 132 of
insert 120 do not contain any flexible latching members but they do
cooperate with keying projections 128 when insert 120 is positioned
in housing member 130. The arrangement of FIG. 7 enables
contact-carrying inserts 120 of each of the housing members to be
oriented in six different angular orientations relative to housing
member 130 when the connector housing members are mated together to
make certain that the electrical receptacles and electrical pins
are properly interconnected.
If desired, insert 98 can be provided with a hood section extending
outwardly from front surface 134 and spaced inwardly from outer
section 66 of housing 64 to mate with outer section 50 of insert
38, and the hood section of insert 98 along with outer section 50
of insert 38 would be provided with a keying arrangement to make
certain that proper mating engagement therebetween takes place in
the same way as the plug and receptacle of the invention as
disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 235,455, filed Feb.
18, 1981 of which the disclosure is incorporated by reference
herein. In this arrangement, both the housing members and the
inserts would be provided with keying arrangements to polarize the
mating engagement therebetween.
* * * * *